The Penas is probably the mountain that I’ve spent most of the time on. In Basque it’s called Aiako Harria and it’s rocky head reaches only 826 meters. What this doesn’t tell you is the nature of the mountain, it’s sides are heavily corrugated and folded with deep valleys and sudden cliffs all coated in dense greenery. Trail finding here is a huge task, trails start and finish without warning and can leave you in a dead end valley with the only way out being the way you came. The hill also tends to be very steep and it’s pleated flanks discourage traversing so the trails tend to be steep too! That’s great for the way down but getting up and around takes a lot of effort!
There is masses of mountain biking in the Basque Country and, because of the meeting of the Pyrenees, Basque and Atlantic coast mountain ranges, the terrain is really variable. This makes it easy to cater for all sorts of riders; from those who want uplift to the top of the mountain, prefering a technical downhill challenge, to the ultra fit who feel uplift is a waste of a good climb!
We have miles of singletrack that is interesting and rewarding without terrifying less experienced mountain bikers. We also have trails that rival those anywhere in Europe for difficulty, with big mountain descents of up to 1000m´s on very technical singletrack where ultra steep trails, complicated rocky chutes, exposed switchbacks, roots and drops will challenge the very best mountain bikers. We love the terrain here and think you will too. Here are a small selection of graded sample rides to give you an idea of what’s available.
This is just a small sample of our guided routes, we have enough singletrack to ensure you could holiday here for a month without doing the same day twice. We believe this is important to ensure you are guided to the trails that best suit you and not just fitted into five rides that have been chosen before you even booked your holiday. We also offer coaching to help you get the most from your bike during your holidays with us.
Sample Easy Route – Biking on the Coast
Sample Moderate Route - Hidden Basque Mountain Singletrack
Sample Extreme Route – Steep and Rocky in the Pyrenees